Lawmakers in Argentina have voiced concerns over press freedom after President Javier Milei’s government moved to limit access for reporters to the seat of government.
In a decree published in the Official Gazette on Friday, the Milei administration tightened access for journalists at the Casa Rosada presidential palace, the seat of government, imposing a cap on access to the building’s press and conference rooms (25 and 36, respectively).
A new dress code is also being introduced, while several areas of Government House are to be declared out of bounds to the media.
Several leaders of political parties condemned the move, signing a multi-party declaration that called on Milei – who has previously described himself as a “liberal-libertarian” – to respect the freedom of the press.
Cross-party support
Among the signatories were lawmakers from parties including Unión por la Patria, PRO, Unión Cívica Radical (UCR), Encuentro Federal, Coalición Cívica, Republicanos Unidos and GEN.
"We note with concern the escalation of expressions from the highest level of power, how the President of the Nation, and many of his followers, use disqualification, insults or even accusations against journalists, or attacks on the media itself, as an attempt to delegitimise their word," read the statement.
"The attack on the press does not seek or defend the truth. The power of the state is used to intimidate, silence and discipline those who exercise their work in a critical manner. We need a common and collective reaction and we need to do it in time, from politics and from all levels of society,” it continued.
The signatories proposed that “leaders and political forces, social organisations, universities, cultural references, journalistic entities and citizens sign a public commitment in defence of freedom of expression and the work of press workers.”
It also criticised “explicit incitement to hatred, or the exercise of physical violence in some cases” against press workers – a likely reference to the violent arrest of a press photographer at a protest in Buenos Aires on Wednesday.
New rules
Under Milei’s new rules, attendance at press conferences and the Casa Rosada’s media room will now be capped. Admission will be based on evaluation criteria such as audience reach, frequency of coverage and specialisation.
The regulations also introduce two types of accreditation – annual and occasional – and a scoring matrix with minimum thresholds for admission. Applicants will be required to submit supporting documentation regarding their professional affiliation, career history, and verifiable audience metrics.
The changes, the government claimed in its decree, are part of a move to guarantee “plural access" to public information and reinforce security conditions.
The new “formal” dress code will be introduced “given the institutional nature of the event and its national and international significance," the regulations state.
Argentina’s Press Under-Secretariat will enforce the new rules and clarify any additional details, it adds.
‘Clampdown’
Coalición Cívica deputy Maximiliano Ferraro strongly criticised the new rules, describing them as a "clampdown on press freedom.”
Noting that the restrictions would restrict access and reporting at Government House, he said “prior moderation of questions” was unacceptable, as was the imposition of a new “evaluation criterion that has yet to be defined.”
"All that’s missing from this absurdity is a requirement to submit questions in advance, along with the articles to be published later. These measures restrict the right to ask questions freely and interfere with editorial treatment of the facts,” said Ferraro.
The new rules are just the latest front in Milei’s war against the media. Argentina’s head of state regularly attacks and condemns journalists, while his government has dismantled public media and weaponised state advertising.
Constant attacks
Earlier this month, the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) press watchdog accused Milei of launching a campaign of "insults, defamation and threats" against "journalists and media critical of his regime."
Milei’s constant attacks have also drawn criticism from press freedom advocates. Both Argentina’s National Academy of Journalism and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) have expressed alarm over the President’s aggressive and hostile rhetoric against reporters.
Since taking office on December 10, 2023, President Milei has not held a single press conference.
He has only granted interviews to a small, carefully chosen circle of journalists – almost always in pre-recorded formats rather than live broadcasts.
– TIMES/NA/PERFIL
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